I've had an interest in gravity knives for some time.
I like the pure, simple form in which opening a bale or depressing a
button allows the blade to simply fall out of the handle. Usually, releasing
the opening mechanism locks the blade out. I'm not a fan, to put it mildly, of
those knives that take a powerful wrist snap to flick the blade open. I've seen
too many of them skid across the practice floor, followed by an
"Oops!"
Wicked Steel The knives seem to come in two sizes
I just got one from Wicked Steel at a knife show. It's a simple design,
point the knife downward, slide the top of the grip open, and the blade falls
out. Close the grip, and the blade is locked in place.
It's a bit more complicated, but only slightly.
The blade is D2 steel, not quite stainless, but pretty close. D2 is an
air-hardening tool steel developed in 1927. We have a solid grasp on its
properties and how to maximize its properties, and D2 is undergoing a
rediscovery in the knife industry. By 1934, the formula was refined to include
about 1.5% Carbon, 12% Chromium, 0.25% Vanadium, and 0.8% Molybdenum.
Closed knife with silver toggle in locked position
My Wicked Steel knife has a D2 blade is 0.1 inches thick and 2.5 inches long, a straight point with a slight false edge, and a saber flat grind. The knife has very good lock-up for its type. The total open length is 7 inches.
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| Seperate the top of knife from bottom.... |
The handle is anodized aluminum with black G-10 friction inserts on both sides. Maybe the noticeable thing is the bright silver lever which locks the mechanism both in the open and closed positions. The reverse side sports a low-profile, polished steel clip. As with most folding knives, the handle length controls the blade length.
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| Let the knife blade fall out... |
In use, it's pretty simple.
A: Point the knife downward,
B: Pull the lock switch back,
C: Hold the top half of the handle against your fingers and let the
heavier bottom separate,
D: Let the blade drop out.
E: Return the handle to its closed position and push the lock closed.
Close and lock the knife.
Closing the knife is pretty simple, too. Point the knife upward and
repeat steps B, C, D, and E.
The steel slides against anodized aluminum, so I'd lube it with a little
graphite or dry moly disulfide. You want the slide to stay as clean as
possible. This is a shortcoming of all knives that have the blade contained
within the handle. The blade sliding closed brings crud in and traps it along
the slide path. Keeping it clean keeps the knife working, and a dry lubricant
helps that.
I like the fact the knife works without springs or sophisticated
mechanism. It is the kind of knife I'd pack in a 'get-out-of-Dodge' pack. I
also like the way it opens. It's not flashy, not visible, but a simple,
practiced move that opens and locks the knife with very little movement on your
part. I like the expression that contact weapons were meant to be felt, not
seen.
The clip on the reverse side
As of now, the company doesn't have a social media presence. Their card
doesn't have a phone number or address. The owner muttered to me something
like, "It's coming up to fishin' season and I ain't puttin' 'em in
storage."
If you want one, you'd better buy it as soon as you see it.
